n@alia....: Include fun in everything you do...

Include fun in everything that you do....

One of our mottos that we have lived by as a company since the beginning is just to have FUN. Yes I do work hard and way more hours then people that are land based and I am on call every single night for emergencies. But that does not stop me from having fun regardless of what I am doing.

Here's an example, every year our email inboxes are bombarded by holiday cards from everyone around the fleet. Every year for the last ten years I have always been the first one to send it out fleet wide and it was not going to be any different this time around.

Our Christmas Card

Since this season we were in Australia we really wanted to do something different and fun with a down under flare. We racked our brains and asked the photo department if they could help us out. we convinced our good friends to don kangarooo and koala costumes. We did a quick photo shoot with a pro photographer and then we went nuts with the costumes and selfies. Koala did the splits, Kangaroo was being a diva, we took off the heads and switched them around and took crazy photos with any guests and crew members we found along the way. I can say that we definitely had a unique and fun holiday card!

Goofing off with the Environmental Officer

When it comes to the holidays on the ship, you have to create your own atmosphere. The first time I was away from home for Christmas it was very difficult for me. Over time it gets easier. But if you are not careful it will become just another day in the calendar. Personally I think its important to create the holiday spirit onboard. Not only for my own well being but also for my team. We may be away from our homes and families but we are also each other families when we are onboard.

The Gingerbread Village

We had a very nice Christmas. We decided to do small gifts for one another, we are a small department of five. It was so much fun! We basically gave each other stocking stuffers and we were like little kids opening up all the gifts, there was gift wrap everywhere! We also joined forces with the other small departments and had a joint party. We also had the crew holiday party for everyone on board.

With the Grinch

These days everyone is so politically correct when it comes to the holidays. Onboard we are 60 nationalities and we celebrate everything together as a single unit. When it is Rammadan or Eid or Holi we are in it together. It is completely acceptable and normal for us to wish one another Merry Christmas or Happy Eid when neither one of us is of that practicing religion. Team Members wish each other as a sign of respect. If I wish someone Merry Christmas and they are not Christian they will not get upset or offended, rather they accept my well wishes as a sign of respect and unity. When its Eid and Ramaddan it is the same. I myself am a Buddhist and I attend all the festivals onboard whether they are Hindu, Muslim, Orthodox etc. Here we are one big family and religion does not seperate us, it unites us. I dream of a day of when we can take what we have onboard and apply it to the rest of the world.

Opening our Christmas presents

Now there's no better place to be for New Years then on a ship. Let me paint you a picture; you and your closest friends all dressed up on the top deck under the stars with the wind gently blowing in your hair. 4000 other festive individuals join in ready to party as the vessel makes her way through the waves. You are in the middle of the ocean and everyone around you, guest and crew alike, are ready to bring in the new year to life. The band is playing on the stage, all the crew is up on the deck and the officers are in their formal uniforms accompanying the Senior Officers. Tradition calls that Captain and the officers bring in the New Year on the open deck. Ten seconds to midnight the Cruise Director stars the countdown. Excitement fills the air....5, 4, 3, 2, 1.....Happy New Year! The sound of the ship's whistle echoes through the ship and the vast open space around us. Everywhere you turn are happy faces, embraces, kisses, hugs and champagne glasses clinking. Happiness and joy fill the air and for those few precious moments absolutely everything is all good in the world.

Decked out for New Years' Eve

One of the other things that we love to do is EAT and believe me there is no shortage or food and drink onboard. Besides the crew dining rooms we also have a ton of other options such as the steakhouse, sushi, guest dining room and so forth. The way to a crew member's heart is with food! It's not that our food is bad but variety is key. We all miss food from our home country and the menu gets stale after a while so its good to mix things up. My group of friends loved sushi so we would assemble our collection of Deck, HR, Medical, Housekeeping, IT and Finance friends and eat in style. What I love about ships and always will is the people. You meet people from all over the world and you get close so fast. Friendships bloom and last lifetimes. You get to see the world with these people and they become your family when you go through good times and bad times. I have met such incredible and inspiring individuals on this journey of mine.

Friends...the most important thing you can have on a ship

The other awesome thing about ships are the parties. We love themed parties! Every month we plan a crew activity calendar and we have all sorts of awesome themes, you name it and we have done it. It is not unlikely that I come home with wigs and costumes galore.

What can I say; Work Hard, Play Hard!